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Sharing recipes, crafts and frugal living, the challenges and triumphs of parenting a neurotypical child and a child on the Autism Spectrum. Yoga Instructor said goodbye to her nightly glass of Chardonnay to give up habits that were not serving her purpose in life! The CocktailMom name remains, however with a new focus on healthy and authentic living.

3/31/2014

Our family is ready for another baseball season, Bowie Baysox is our local minor league team in Maryland. Minor league games are perfect for families and for kids on the Autism Spectrum. As you can see from this picture the crowds are less, which means being able to ask to change seats to a quieter section if your child has sensory processing issues.

For Maryland families- check out the Bowie Baysox's Kids Club. Every Sunday during a home game kid's club members eat FREE!

3/24/2014

I don't often write reviews of products but when I was going through some old photos I can across this sweet gem from 2 years ago and was drawn to write about the boys backpacks. They have used these L.L Bean backpacks for 2 school years and they are still in great shape. We haven't had any issues with zippers or the wheels. I highly recommend investing in a L. L Bean backpack. It seems like a lot of money to spend on a child's book bag but it is made to last through elementary, middle and even high school. Buy once and buy well.

3/17/2014

How do you practice spirituality?
In a church, on a yoga mat, sitting in nature?
Church, for me, use to be sitting in a church on a sunday morning but recently I've found my connection to God on my yoga mat. As I breath through the poses, my heart opens and I connect to something greater than myself. The poses move through me like a dance. And I feel that the Divine is shining a light down on me.
Wherever you practice spiritually….be present in the moment. Listen to the still soft voice within. Breathe deep and connect with your heart open.

3/10/2014

We live in a small house, we have a tiny kitchen and each square inch is held sacred. Recently we decided to think of alternative ways to store our spices. An Ikea shelf and recycled mason jars makes our storage problems a thing of the past. Have you thought of placing a shelf over a window? It could work in a bedroom to store books or a bathroom to store additional linens. Share your alternative storage ideas in the comments.

3/03/2014

We didn't think we were ready to open our hearts to another dog so soon after the death of our beloved Elgin. But Dharma was depressed. After two months of non-stop whining and crying we realized that Dharma needed a companion. We went to the local pounds, but never found a dog that met all of our requirements.

Not a puppy

smaller than 40 pounds

good with kids

goos with other dogs

female

We cyber stalked several of the local rescue organizations. Lost Dog Rescue Foundation, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Best DAWG Rescue, Operation PAWS for Homes . Lauren adopted Elgin from Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) ten years ago and it seemed appropriate to go back there and visit some dogs. We saw several that we liked but they didn't meet all of our requirements. We waited a bit longer and decided to take another trip to WARL and then we found Chloe. She was in the puppy room, which we didn't plan on going into because we didn't want a puppy but the boys begged to "just look".
Once we met Chloe, I knew she'd be a perfect fit for our family. She is actually four years old, not sure why she was in the puppy room. We all adore her and she's fit in so nicely into our family. I highly recommend going to WARL the next time you are looking for a dog or cat to add to your family.